Galway: an Irish weekend
Its strategic position by the sea, the beauty that is appreciated from the first moment and the vibrant atmosphere that emanates from every corner have made **Galway one of the favorite cities to visit in Ireland **.
Both locals and foreigners travel to this enclave every year either to take language courses, go looking for work to improve their level of English, study at university or simply enjoy a well-deserved vacation.
And it is that Galway, although it cannot boast of the size of Dublin, is the perfect place to experience in first person the idea of the Ireland featured in our favorite books, movies and songs (but tell Ed Sheeran and his internationally distinguished song Galway Girl).
The best advice when visiting the city known as the most hospitable in ireland ? Do not impose on yourself neither schedules, nor routes, nor obligations and Let yourself be infected by the bohemian and festive vibe that permeates the city. In short...LIVE IT!
street music
FRIDAY AFTERNOON
6:00 p.m. To make a first contact with Galway once newly installed in this exciting town, the first thing we have to do is explore on foot what is considered the historic center.
Understood between Eyre Square and the Spanish Arch , all the streets that encompass that area will be found full of shops, pubs, Irish taverns and buskers the most authentic Celtic music or in the purest Ed Sheeran style. You will immediately integrate with the environment and start thinking about extending your stay, who knows, maybe... forever?
Wandering around we immediately found Shop Street, the most lively and commercial street in Galway. We can grab a pre-dinner beer at any of the pubs that line this busy street and start enjoy the true Irish essence. Tomorrow there will be a place to visit it carefully (and touristically).
8:00 p.m. In Ireland, as in the UK, dinner time is usually from 18:00 so you have to be very careful not to go at 9:30 p.m. for dinner, so it is very likely that the kitchen will be closed for half an hour or even before. It is not that you go to dinner at 18:30 but between 19:30-20:30 is a good time to have the last meal of the day.
We have two options, either stay in some of the pubs in the areas having a hot dish to snack and share accompanied by one (or several) refreshing Guinness or go to a nearby restaurant.
An enclave where history, fun and good gastronomy are guaranteed
If we opt for the second alternative, The Pie Maker bears our name. Incredible and delicious savory and sweet pastries made in the oven They have been cooked in this place for years in a completely homemade way and have established themselves as a benchmark in the town.
Due to its high demand, in April 2019 they decided to change venue (previously located at 10 Cross Street Upper) and move two doors from the other location to satisfy all the tourists and locals who come here every day to taste their forceful cakes.
On the original site they have opened another restaurant with the same philosophy called WhiteRabbit that promises to become Galway's new place to be. Their cakes are a whole little piece of heaven, beef and carrot or chicken with mushrooms they are unique, but we also find other options, even vegetarian, so we will not need more than the offer to have a good dinner.
It is advisable go early because the queues are usually long, but the wait is worth it. Also, if we go in a bit of a hurry, we have the option of ordering it to take away and taste it in the apartment or in any other place.
Baked savory and sweet pastries
10:00 p.m. To sleep we can choose to stay in the bustling and expensive center or move away a bit to find somewhat cheaper options. Accommodation in Ireland is much more expensive than what we are used to in Spain, so if we can find something cheaper and of the same quality, it will always be well received.
In the salthill bay dozens of B&Bs are crowded on the seafront just 20 minutes' walk from the center of Galway, so they are the perfect option to not be far from the night party but sleep in a relaxed and quiet enclave.
Waking up and seeing the views of County Clare is magical. The **Sunrise Lodge B&B** (3 Ocean Wave, Dr. Colohan Road) and its gracious hosts are a shining example of quiet and exceptional accommodation in this bay.
The beautiful Salthill Bay
SATURDAY
10:00 a.m. After getting up and having the hearty and traditional Irish breakfast served to us every morning in our b&b, It's time to get to know Galway in daylight and discover some of the most emblematic historical corners of the city.
we can walk by the promenade that links Salthill with the center of Galway. A half-hour tour in which, if the weather is good, it will translate into a pleasant walk where we will see people practicing sports and enjoying a pleasant day in the sun.
11:30 a.m. What shouldn't we miss? The good thing is that it is an easy city to visit on foot and that in one morning we will have already seen the most touristic points of it, so we can dedicate the rest to enjoy its good atmosphere, its culture, its gastronomy and of course its beer!
But first we can visit the Spanich Arch, the well-known Latin Quarter and the Galway Municipal Museum. If we continue through the center, we will eventually reach the Eyre Square with its famous shopping center.
If we want to leave the tourist circuit, we will only have to walk a little further north, on the other bank of the Corrib river are the catholic cathedral of saint nicholas and a few steps from her rises the National University of Ireland, which has been offering university studies since 1849.
In 1908, a center associated with the National University of Galway was definitively established. Thousands of national and international students travel here every year to participate in their university programs of all kinds.
If we feel like walking a little further, from the university and just a 20-minute walk away is Terryland Castle, also known as the 'old castle'.
It is a building in ruins because in 1961 a fire destroyed the fortification, leaving what we know today. But still well worth a short visit.
the city cathedral
1:30 p.m. . Once we have visited the key points we can return to the center to eat. If the day accompanies why not order take away food and taste it south of the Spanish Arch in South Park? The views are impressive and the atmosphere is very calm.
We can go to Dough Bros. (1 Middle Street) a Neapolitan-style pizzeria well known for its quality product and good price or if we fancy a more traditional cuisine, McDonagh's (22 Quay Street) is waiting for us the best fish&chip dish in Galway.
We take it and we go to the park to make the best of picnics, take a well-deserved nap, play cards and if we feel like practicing some kind of exercise. Doesn't sound bad at all, right? In the worst case, if it rains we can always taste the food inside the establishment.
6:00 p.m. Depending on the time of year in which we find ourselves, the sunset over Galway will happen at one time or another. In spring it gets dark between 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. and in summer the sun can set around 8:00 p.m. One of the locations near the center to witness this moment is near South Park, specifically at the entrance to the Corrib River.
The moment when the sun is setting over the sea and the reflection illuminates the colored houses located in The Long Walk is something unique and wonderful that will remain in your retina for the rest of the days.
8:00 p.m. After sunset, it's time to continue delighting ourselves with the traditional cuisine of Galway and this time we will do it at the ** Hooked ** restaurant (65 Henry Street). We cannot leave this fishing village without trying its delicious fish and seafood and in this place they are experts in both.
Fish & chips, oysters, calamari, fish burger or fish soup are some of the dishes of the culinary offer that you should not overlook. Delicious!
If we go in the month of September we should know that every year around that time the city's port celebrates the Oyster and Seafood Festival, a mandatory appointment for lovers of gastronomy.
10:00 p.m. After dinner it's time take the pint of rigor before retiring. Who knows if the thing can go further and who says one says several. We have dozens of places where you can have the quintessential drink in Ireland, so we can try them one by one. The Quays, Tigh Neachtain, O' Connells Pub, The King's Head...bars what a place!
In our getaway you can not miss the bars!
SUNDAY
9:00 a.m. Today it's time to leave the city to discover one of the most representative wonders of all Ireland, the cliffs of moher (also known as 'Cliff of Moher' in English).
We have three options to visit this jewel of the Emerald Isle, well by car on our own, by public transport or with a guided tour. If we want to have the time we want and without any hurry to be able to stop along the way if we wanted to to admire this impressive landscape, The best thing is that we rent a car in Galway and get going.
An hour and a half away we find this enclave of nature that we will surely recognize from the typical postcards of Ireland and for being the settings of the Harry Potter movies or the Game of Thrones series. You will not have seen anything like it!
The signs located along the path very close to the edge of the cliffs will warn us that we must go with caution and not get too close to the limit, since air currents are dangerous and one can fall into the void. We can also see help signs in case someone goes with somewhat suicidal ideas. It's better to prevent than to cure!
The majesty of this place is unique. Whether the day is good or the weather conditions are terrible, taking a walk and letting yourself be intoxicated by the magic and mysticism that encompasses this redoubt of nature is something necessary.... and of course take the required photograph.
The impressive Cliffs of Moher
1:00 p.m. Once we have left behind the cliffs of Moher, It's time to make a technical stop in the coastal town of Doolin. Here we can have a snack in some of the pubs in the area to later catch the ferry that will take us to one of the aran islands.
Doolin is the closest town to the cliffs and from where the ferries depart to visit the islands by sea. Belonging to County Clare, it is the perfect place to recharge batteries and continue on our way.
The traditional irish music It is one of the great bets of Doolin and if we have the opportunity we should listen to it in some of the pubs. To eat? An excellent option can be McGann's Pub & Restaurant (Main Street Roadford).
3:00 p.m. After lunch, it's time to catch a ferry that will take us to one of the aran islands where Irish is still the main language and traditions are the order of the day. Three islands with a wide cultural heritage due to its impressive beauty.
Inis Oírr it is the smallest and the closest to the land part of Ireland. Inis Meain is located in the middle and offers a landscape full of rock formations and green fields. It is the least visited of the three islands, which makes it the perfect enclave for travelers seeking calm and tranquility.
And finally Inis Mor , the largest of the three and the furthest away gives us a landscape of limestone and steep cliffs.
8:00 p.m. Now it's time to go back to Galway and enjoy the Irish night. Did someone say a Guinness or a Murphy's?
Doolin, a charming seaside town